Various devices use displays to provide information regarding the operation of the device. Clocks and clock radios are examples of devices that include displays to display information such as a time or radio station. Such devices may include light emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide an illuminated display of numbers, letters, words and/or other symbols. On many of these devices, the display includes a transparent glass or plastic panel. With such a transparent panel, the underlying display elements are visible to the user even when the display is not turned on or illuminated. Also, such transparent panels may cause an undesirable glare or reflection.
Some attempts have been made to hide displays, for example, behind a one-way mirror. In such devices, however, the display may not always provide adequate and consistent illumination through the mirror due to certain manufacturing challenges. For example, slight variances in an inside coating of the mirror or in the planarity of the inside surface may adversely affect the quality of the display through the mirror. Also, the specular reflection on the outside of the mirror may be undesirable for displays used on certain types of devices.